Esports has undergone important modifications since its first documented event in 1972, the place gamers competed for a year’s subscription to Rolling Stone.
The scene has advanced from small-scale native tournaments to international ecosystems that characteristic the very best degree of aggressive gaming.
Past the video games themselves, esports has turn out to be a industrial powerhouse: attracting international manufacturers whereas fostering new ones, pushing the boundaries of gaming know-how, and elevating gamers into influential figures with large on-line followings.
Based in 1998, peripheral model Razer has been on the forefront of esports, supporting athletes with {hardware} and rising alongside the scene because the trade has developed globally.
Esports Insider sat down with Razer’s Director of World Esports, Jeff Chau, to replicate on the state of the esports scene and focus on the place the ecosystem is headed.
“It’s Been Cool to See This Fixed Innovation”: How Peripherals in Esports Have Modified
Throughout discussions with Razer’s Director of World Esports, the position of know-how and the way it has formed the esports trade was introduced up. Furthermore, these developments have turn out to be a key consider Razer’s evolution over time.
Now, greater than ever, professional gamers fuss over the smallest particulars with regards to the right set-up, from mouse accuracy for essential headshots to keyboards designed for essential movement. Through the years, corporations akin to Logitech, Asus, and ZOWIE have been collaborating carefully with prime gamers within the scene to develop the subsequent technology of peripherals.
Razer not too long ago launched the DeathAdder V4 Pro mouse, a product that stands out from earlier iterations as a mouse made in collaboration with Counter-Strike pros. Throughout talks with Esports Insider, Chau shared that it was vital to work with athletes within the scene because the ‘recreation has modified so much’ prior to now decade.
“I performed Starcraft and it was like 120 to 150 gram mice should you bear in mind, and every thing was wired, proper?” Acknowledged Chau. “So now you must go wi-fi, every thing must be lighter, and the battery has to last more.
“That’s why the Deathadder V4 Professional that we simply launched has a 150-hour battery life, which is an trade customary. It’s been cool to see this fixed innovation and pushing for peak efficiency and peak tech into one thing so simple as a mouse.
“However for esports execs, each millisecond issues. In order that’s why we work with execs very carefully, as a result of they’re so attuned to those modifications.”
Chau additional commented on how peripherals in esports have advanced as video games have progressed, turning into extra superior over time as skilled gamers gravitate in the direction of extra subtle titles.
Particularly, mouse actions have modified with titles, from ‘horizontal’ isometric MOBAs like League of Legends to ‘vertical’ motion shooters like VALORANT, forcing tech to ‘adapt’ as playstyles and calls for change.
Whether or not that be lighter mice with wi-fi performance, or altering the scale and materials of mousepads, Razer is adamant that {hardware} has simply as a lot of an impression on a participant’s efficiency as stability patches inside a recreation.
“Esports itself is a know-how story,” Chau mentioned. “In order these video games change, and new titles are launched like VALORANT 5 years in the past, or Fortnite, they continuously push us to observe what gamers are preferring primarily based on these new sorts of video games which can be popping out.
”In order that’s why the mice have gone lighter, the know-how has gotten higher, and now we have to principally make the mice much more sturdy.”
“The Esports Group Look As much as These Gamers as GOATS”: How Athletes Have Formed Esports
Through the years, esports has helped to determine a few of the most well-known online personalities within the influencer panorama. From energetic athletes akin to Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut, to esports organisation founders like Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag, there’s no query that esports personalities have turn out to be part of the cultural zeitgeist.
Razer emphasised the significance of working with members of the scene by way of ‘persona product advertising and marketing’, partnering with organisations and gamers to sponsor occasions and launch unique product line-ups.
“Why does it matter?” Chau commented. “As a result of followers and other people within the esports neighborhood look as much as these gamers as GOATS or gods.
“Seeing a participant like Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok (League of Legends) or Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovač (Counter-Strike 2) utilizing our mice and successful is a advertising and marketing proof level.”
One of the vital well-known energetic gamers is T1’s League of Legends icon Faker. The participant was not too long ago named ‘PC Participant of the Decade’ on the Esports Awards and was welcomed as the primary inductee of Riot Games’ Hall of Legends. All through all of it, he has been concerned in a long-standing partnership with Razer, and this 12 months, the 2 events celebrated the tenth anniversary of their collaboration.
On prime of a livestream at Razer’s HQ in Singapore, a novel Viper V3 Professional Faker version mouse was additionally launched, which proved to be one of many firm’s greatest product launches up to now.
“It was probably the most profitable activation that we did on the Razor headquarters,” Chau added. “It was utterly over capability. And Faker had a tremendous time. He obtained to work together along with his followers in Singapore.
“Governments Have Performed a Big Position”: How The Esports Scene is Increasing
Esports has expanded far past the area of interest gaming circles it was as soon as confined to, as extra organisations and governments more and more recognise it as a reputable sport, profession path and platform.
In 2025, the Worldwide Olympic Committee absolutely embraced esports into its ecosystem with the announcement of the Olympic Esports Games, confirmed for 2027. Although its choice to companion with the Esports World Cup Basis, backed by Saudi Arabia’s authorities, has sparked criticism on-line for internet hosting the inaugural occasion in a rustic with controversial social policies.
One other instance is the Asian Video games, the place the Olympic Council of Asia formally recognised esports as a medal occasion in December 2020, which led to its implementation within the 2022 tournament. It not too long ago introduced the line-up of esports titles that can be featured within the 2026 Nachi-nagoya event.
Speaking with Esports Insider, Chau mentioned: “I feel the governments have performed an enormous position, you understand, from China to Singapore, to loads of international locations. Some, like Korea, have made it an official career. I feel Germany not too long ago introduced that it’s like a non-profit exercise.
“In [South] Korea, should you compete within the Asian Video games underneath esports, they really exempt you from army service*. So the governments have really elevated esports to a extra skilled capability.
“Rising up, I by no means would have imagined that may be doable. So I feel governments have performed a task.”
*If a South Korean participant achieves a gold medal in an esports occasion on the Asian Video games, they are often exempted from full army service as they’re recognised for bringing nationwide status. For instance, Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok was exempted after successful in League of Legends on the 2022 Asian Video games.
“Comply with the Market, Comply with the Gamers, Comply with the Followers”: Razer on the Way forward for Esports
After discussing the historical past of esports and its present state, conversations turned to the subject of the place the esports scene is headed.
Razer’s World Director of Esports highlighted how the corporate is ‘actually targeted’ on AI and the advantages it may carry to avid gamers and aspiring athletes. The corporate launched the AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore in August 2025, the primary of three AI international hubs deliberate.
Earlier this 12 months, Razer launched its AI teaching programme referred to as Project AVA throughout the CES 2025 present. Just like a private assistant, Undertaking AVA analyses and evaluations a participant’s ability throughout matches and offers post-match breakdowns for suggestions.
As new titles akin to NetEase’s hero shooter Marvel Rivals acquire traction and established video games like League of Legends proceed to develop with recent content material, Razer sees the subsequent step for know-how as serving to new gamers navigate more and more steep studying curves.
“Razer is absolutely targeted on AI and gaming” Chau shared.“We need to assist avid gamers turn out to be higher at their video games. And that’s why we’re specializing in how AI can assist gamers be taught the sport and play it higher, with regards to teaching and stuff like that.
“The extra gamers that turn out to be hardcore and fanatic avid gamers, it’s good for Razer’s enterprise, proper?”
In relation to the way forward for the scene, Chau anticipates the trade rising in two methods, reflecting the steadiness and volatility of esports.
Established titles like Counter-Strike will stand the check of time and proceed to draw extra curiosity. In line with SteamDB, Valve’s tactical shooter has continued to rise in curiosity prior to now decade, sustaining a gradual energetic participant base of 1m each day customers.
However, new video games will emerge that might rival a few of the most popular esports titles. Just some months after launching in December 2024, NetEase established the Marvel Rivals Ignite esports scene, which featured a $3m (~£2.26m) complete prize pool. Whereas Marvel Rivals’ success in esports is up for debate, the sport demonstrates how new scenes and pursuits will proceed to look sooner or later.
When requested about the place the esports scene is headed, Chau responded: “I feel for esports to proceed to develop is to simply take heed to what the market desires. Comply with the market, observe the gamers, observe the followers, after which proceed to help, develop, and amplify that.
“So there can be a recreation — possibly it’s cellular, or who is aware of what — that can catch all the world by storm like League or VALORANT, and it’ll be the subsequent huge esports title.
“We need to help that and actually assist develop that esports title as a result of sure video games will now not be as huge as they was once. We need to proceed to take heed to the market and help the video games which have the most important mass market enchantment.”
The put up “Esports is a technology story”: Razer Global Esports Director Jeff Chau discusses the state of esports appeared first on Esports Insider.
